PRECISION COMBUSTION, INC. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: C53-22a

Description

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) proposes a process-intensified water-gas-shift/metallic-based membrane- reactor (WGS-MR) for modular H2 production from multi-feedstock gasification. This integrated-process concept offers enhanced performance as well as capital, energy, and cost savings. PCI’s WGS-MR produces high purity H2 from gasified coal/biomass blends or reformed natural gas and allows for simultaneous CO2 capture. The proposed technology supports the DOE-NETL vision for developing high efficiency and cost- effective modular gasification technologies for fuel-flexible & waste remediation systems. Prior WGS-MR work, including DOE sponsored, focused on demonstrating advantages of membrane reactors for H2 generation from coal derived syngas. Our technical approach gathers insights from prior demonstrations, and seeks to implement resolutions to barrier issues, including the need to decarbonize the entire process and the performance and cost requirements for multi-feedstock gasification. PCI identified a unique metallic membrane composition for H2 separation that has the potential to simultaneously enhance the membrane’s thermal and chemical stabilities when operated in coal/biomass gas environments. In Phase I, we will focus on demonstrating technical concepts and economic viability of the proposed approach to deliver H2 at a competitive cost, compared to other approaches, including WGS + PSA and SMR. We will perform process simulation, optimization, and technoeconomic analysis (TEA) utilizing resources available through DOE’s IDAES, supported by experimental determination of the chemical and thermal stability of the proposed metallic membrane under representative WGS conditions. Phase II performance and cost reduction metrics shall be projected based on Phase I experimental and simulation results and will be compared vis-à-vis DOE’s cost and performance metrics for metallic membranes and other competing technologies. We will collaborate with experts from Colorado School of Mines, Notre Dame University, and EERC. We will also interact with 2 major U.S. corporations on manufacturing and implementation. PCI’s technology is modular and scalable, overcomes traditional economy-of-scale constraints facing gasification plants, and thereby opens new distributed markets. The H2 could be used for power generation, transportation, or other markets, and the CO2 could likewise be used for fuel upgrading, other chemicals processing, or sequestration. With its lower capital and energy cost and system complexity, maturation of PCI’s WGS-MR beyond Phase II/III offers a pathway for a fully decarbonized direct coal and biomass- derived H2 production process, with savings relative to alternative routes including SMR with CO2 capture.